Aug. 2, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio and city health officials are “strongly recommending” New Yorkers to mask up indoors regardless of their vaccination status. De Blasio issued the recommendation Monday, but stopped short of calling for mandatory mask use—unlike what officials in some other big U.S. cities have done. The announcement… Read more »
July 30, 2021 By Allie Griffin The City University of New York (CUNY) will wipe out the debt of 50,000 current students and recent grads who experienced hardships during the pandemic. CUNY will erase as much as $125 million outstanding tuition and fee balances through the “CUNY Comeback Program,” CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez and… Read more »
July 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin City officials unveiled an all-star Hip Hop lineup that will take the stage in Forest Hills next month. The man known as the “Father of Funk,” George Clinton, will be headlining the free concert on Friday, Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Stadium. Clinton and his group the P-Funk All… Read more »
July 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that Queens residents, even those fully vaccinated, should wear masks indoors as COVID-19 cases are rising in the borough. The CDC issued a recommendation Tuesday that residents in more than 2,100 counties across the country — including Queens —… Read more »
July 28, 2021 By Allie Griffin A 30-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for a string of anti-Muslim hate crimes in Southeast Queens. Naved Durrni, of Jamaica, was cuffed and charged with assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges. He allegedly beat two Muslim couples and threatened a third Muslim… Read more »
July 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city is offering $100 to every New Yorker who gets their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at a city-run site starting Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday. Only people who live or work in the city and get their first dose at a vaccination site run… Read more »
July 27, 2021 By Allie Griffin The state announced Monday that it has streamlined the application process for its rent relief program that aims to cover New Yorkers’ unpaid rent. The announcement comes one day after U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said the state was too slow in distributing payments from its $2.7 billion rental assistance… Read more »
July 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin The number of rat complaints has jumped significantly in Queens this year, with complaints in neighborhoods like Woodside and Ridgewood more than double what they were a year ago. There were 1,812 complaints across Queens for the Jan. 1 — June 30 period this year, up more than 27… Read more »
July 27, 2021 By Allie Griffin A man wanted for two anti-Muslim attacks last month in South Richmond Hill struck again over the weekend — this time targeting a Muslim woman in Jamaica. The alleged bigot followed a 38-year-old woman near Sutphin Boulevard and 94th Avenue and threatened her with a knife while making anti-Muslim… Read more »
July 26, 2021 By Allie Griffin All 300,000 city workers will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or adhere to weekly testing under a new mandate by mid September, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. The city will require all municipal workers to be vaccinated by Sept. 13 — the first day of public school —… Read more »